Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:51:06 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Aug. 31); BP: I Cor.15:51-58; RBTTY: I Cor.11:17-34; Ps.132-134
August 31 “Never In Vain”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not vain
in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15:58
When we do it for Him, leaving the results to Him, we can always rest
assured that He’s pleased and will bless.
Years ago churches used to sing a song where some of the lyrics went
like this: “Oh land of rest for thee I sigh, When will the morning come?
When I shall lay my armor by and dwell in peace at Home. We’ll work ‘till
Jesus comes, we’ll work ‘till Jesus come, We’ll work ‘till Jesus comes and
we’ll be gathered Home.”
Even now, those of us who are old enough to remember the song, can
almost hear it wafting to us on the breeze. . .its staccato beat and
harmonious parts. . .and its rousing chorus of echoing responses. Truly, it
was a song that challenged us to “stay the course” in the work that must be
done—and it’s certainly one we need in these pressure-packed days where
weariness of mind, soul and body continually take a toll on us.
But, we should never allow these maladies of mind, emotions, body and
spirit to rob us of our joy and cause us to think that we’re wasting our
time in serving the Lord. Instead, we should always remember what the
Apostle Paul said in today’s Manna—i.e., to “be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord.”
Now, at times, this is easier said than done, isn’t it?
Assuredly so; however, when our “labor is in the Lord,” we can rest
assured that it will not return to Him void. For sure, there’ll be many
times when we’ll see no visible or tangible results from our efforts—but,
again, “God is faithful” (I Cor. 10:13) and has promised to bless whatever
we do in His name (Mt. 10:42; Jn. 6:9-11).
How does this apply to our individual situations?
First, being “steadfast” means being dependable and consistent. It
means “righteous reliability” where others know we can be counted on in a
time of need. Likewise, being “immovable” is not being stubborn, rigid or a
non-conformist. It simply means having “strength of soul” or spiritual
backbone where we’re not flighty or wishy-washy when it comes to choosing
and doing what’s right. And, our possessing these two Christlike attributes
will then lead us to “always abound.” This doesn’t mean we’ll always have
the biggest church building or largest number of baptisms in a given year;
however, it does mean we’ll be filled with true, Holy Ghost joy and
enthusiasm that the world can’t take away. Hallelujah!!
It’s important to note that Paul gives us this exhortation at the end
of his powerful message on the reality of the resurrection. Thus, it’s the
Risen Lord’s presence that invigorates and sustains us. Knowing He’s with
us every step of the way will both comfort and motivate us. It will also
help us to remember that ours is a “cooperative fellowship” with Him where
both sides give 100%, but the results are always up to Him (I Cor. 3:1-9).
Glory!!
_________________________________________________________________
Learn.Laugh.Share. Reallivemoms is right place!
http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us
bsp;<
No comments:
Post a Comment